Ukraine’s largest port, Odessa, became the target of Russia’s latest missile and drone attack on the night after Russia withdrew from the Grain Agreement. The attack was described by the Kremlin as a “retaliation for the Crimean bridge”. Six “Kalibr” missiles and 36 kamikaze drones attacked from the south, in waves, also targeting the city of Mykolaiv and several other regions in the east and center, the Ukrainian air force reported. All of the missiles and 31 drones were intercepted, with falling fragments causing damage to property on the ground. “The debris of the downed missiles and the shock wave of the impact damaged the port infrastructure facilities and several houses,” the authorities reported.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that all planned objectives were achieved, including the «fuel storage facilities for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions” and “objects where terrorist acts against the Russian Federation were being prepared using unmanned ships”. The attack was carried out “in retaliation for the Crimean bridge,” they added.
After sirens and loud explosions woke neighbors around 2 a.m., many followed the “two walls” rule, taking refuge in corridors or other internal rooms, which had no windows. A downed missile fragment damaged a private home and fell into the bed of a 74-year-old Odessa man. Her wife, Valentyna, told police that she was woken up in the middle of the night by the explosions and that she did not immediately understand why her house was full of dust.
«I jumped up, and everything was like in a fog. I didn’t understand where the debris came from,” she said. Valentyna immediately ran to her husband in the next room. “I tried to remove the fragment of a missile from my husband but I couldn’t because he screamed that it hurt”. According to his wife, the man has broken ribs and is being treated at a hospital. In all, four people were killed and 16 wounded as Russia also used aviation and artillery to attack civilian areas in 10 of Ukraine’s 25 regions.
The Air Force revealed that the missiles were probably launched from the Russian frigate “Admiral Essen”, while the “Shahed” were from the Chauda training camp in Crimea. Several parts produced in Western and Asian countries were found in the drones that attacked Mykolaiv, revealed the head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak. “Russia has been buying foreign technology products for many years, but now, when they are becoming instruments for killing people, terrorism and genocideThis cannot continue,” he stressed. He claimed that the presence of the details on newly produced drones meant that existing controls on technology exports to Russia are not sufficient.
“New restrictions are needed, as well as more effective implementation and monitoring,” he said, noting that the price of inaction is “the human lives that are lost every day”. Ukraine, he stressed, is offering “concrete steps” to resolve the problem and while some of these were included in the 11th EU sanctions package, more needs to be done, including by countries outside the West.
Meanwhile, traffic has been partially renewed across the Crimean bridge, despite extensive damage it sustained on Monday night. Russian authorities released a video showing passing cars in an available lane. Its Defense Ministry also reported a massive drone attack overnight, saying 17 Ukrainian aircraft were intercepted by air defenses and 11 disabled by other means. The Ukrainian Army reported increasing pressure from Russian troops in the Kharkiv region, in the east, where around 100,000 soldiers and about 900 tanks are concentrated. The situation “is complicated but remains under control.” According to Ganna MaliarDeputy Defense Minister, Russia seeks to divert Ukrainian troops from the area near Bakhmut and from the south.
